Bucks Lake - Plumas County, California

 

Visited 7/23/17 -  During our return trip from Eagle Lake camping and boating, Jeff and our two dogs, Summer and Skye stopped at this beautiful lake for lunch and a game of toss the stick for the dogs.  It is one of the most pristine lakes in Northern California and is definitely a lake I would like to return and enjoy.  Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Plumas County just 16 miles from Quincy, the county’s seat, at an elevation of 5,155′ it is a year round outdoor wonderland.  This Lake is 1,827 acres of deep blue water.  The history behind this spell binding area is a many layered story. Once a lush valley surrounded by thick forest, it was a summer home and hunting ground to the Maidu Indians.  You can still find arrowheads and grinding stones when the water level is down and you can still see the holes made by those grinding stones in the granite boulders along the shore.  The second layer of the story comes with the California Gold Rush.  In 1850 Gold was discovered at Rich Bar on the Feather River about 15 miles over steep and rugged ridges from Bucks Lake, bringing men and women by the thousands to the area in search of their fortunes.  Three men took up a land claim in the valley.  One of the men was named Horace Bucklin, the namesake of what was then called Buck’s Valley.  In 1851 several people began building in the valley and sold goods and provided lodging to passing gold miners. The land was bought and sold several times during the next half century.  A cattle ranch served as lodging for travelers during this time. In 1861 a post office was established, augmenting the store, hotel, stage station and cattle operation.  The road from Quincy, CA. to Bucks Lake began as a pack trail across the steep ridges from Quincy, through Spanish Ranch and Meadow Valley. In 1851 African-American Mountain Man, James P. Beckwourth’s  Emigrant Tail reinforced the pack trail to serve as a byway to Bucks Lake and further to Marysville. You can still follow this trail today and is a fascinating story all on its own.  The ranch became a vacation destination during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Coming in horse-drawn buggies and stage coaches during the summer and snowshoed horses and dog sleds during the winter, men and women alike would come to the valley to camp, hunt and fish.  With the advent of the automobile, the roads were improved and Bucks Valley became quite the vacation spot.  In 1925 the land was sold once again and a whole other layer to the story began. The new owners formed the Feather River Power Company and set out to build a dam and fill the lake, buildings and all, to create a reservoir that, to this day, provides much of California with hydroelectric power. In an amazing three short years Bucks Lake connected with Bucks Creek Powerhouse in the Feather River Canyon. When you realise the lack of modern equipment at the time and the rugged terrain you realize just how amazing this feat was. 

 

 

 

 Fun Lunch of last night leftovers!  Cold mashed potatoes, tri-tip and since we didn't bring a salt shaker down to the picnic area by the lake and no one wanted to go back to the camper to get salt we used potato chips sprinkled on top to favor or meat and potato snack bites!  Our dogs love the snack too!  Below:  Lots of folks having fun jumping off of the large boulders into to the Lake, we just enjoyed the little beach and played with the dogs throwing the stick into the water for a good game of fetch the stick.